


Scoop, The

by lidarose13



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-11-18
Updated: 2004-11-18
Packaged: 2019-05-30 11:55:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15096209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lidarose13/pseuds/lidarose13
Summary: A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of theWest Wing Fanfiction Central, a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in theannouncement post.





	Scoop, The

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**The Scoop**

**by: Lida Rose**

**Pairing(s):** C.J./Danny with passing mentions of Sam/Mallory and Donna/Billy Kenworthy  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe   
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** The West Wing and its characters are the property of Aaron Sorkin, Warner Brothers and NBC. No Copyright infringement is intended.  
**Summary:** Sequel to "Summit Time and the Lovin' is Easy"  


C.J. Cregg returned from her early morning workout all pumped up. She had enough energy remaining despite the workout, to jog to her apartment door. She needed this time to clear her head and invigorate her for another busy day at the White House. 

She came into her normally meticulous apartment and grinned at its disorganized state. C.J. had been on the road with the President and had come back into town last night. 

Her luggage was in her hallway, her briefcase near the couch, shoes next to that. Then, things got interesting. C.J.'s coat was flung on a chair, a trail of clothes led from there to the bedroom. But they weren't all C.J.'s, her smile widened as she remembered Danny Concannon's way of saying welcome home. It sure beat the Welcome Wagon. 

** 

She was tired, she was cranky, she just wanted the day to end. President Bartlet hadn't wanted to make the trip to Oklahoma but it was a pay back. He needed to appear with a Congressman who'd marshaled support for a critical Children's Health Insurance Bill. 

The President liked this opposition Congressman and was grateful the Bill passed. But President Bartlet hated these quick trips especially when the First Lady didn't travel with him. 

He took part of his ill humor out on C.J. and the Press Corps. He relentlessly lectured and quizzed them on the geography of every area they flew over. For good measure, he threw in facts about how states came to be named. 

C.J. heard rumblings from people on Air Force One about the penalty for tossing a President out the door. She swore one of the plotters was a Secret Service Agent. 

They landed and she got the relieved Press Corps on to the buses and on their way. One familiar face was missing. Danny hadn't made the trip. His work on another book about First Lady Abigail Bartlet kept him in D.C. 

C.J. made a quick stop at the White House. After checking messages, she checked to see if Danny was in his cubicle. He wasn't there, he wasn't at his place and he wasn't answering his cell phone. 

She fed Gail the Goldfish, grabbed her stuff and headed home. She was disappointed about the day's end and figured it would be a glass of wine and a bubble bath to soothe away the day's frazzles. She thought wistfully, "I'd rather use Danny to unwind but apparently he's too busy." She laughed off the moment of self pity. "Who needs that attitude?", she decided. 

Thoughts of Danny, their relationship, the trip just finished, and the next day occupied C.J.'s mind on the drive home. She pulled into the garage, unloaded her luggage and headed into the elevator. 

C.J. was trudging down the hallway when she noticed a pile of clothes in front of her apartment door. The rumpled heap held Danny Concannon. He was sitting on the floor typing on his laptop. Her mood suddenly lifted. 

She paused to study him. Danny as usual looked a bit wrinkled and was intent on the screen. He was working to get something just right, his fingers flew to put his words down. C.J. loved to watch him work; it was intense yet you could see the pleasure he took in his craft. 

He glanced at his notebook and noticed her. Work was forgotten. C.J. was now his main focus. A huge smile went from his face to his eyes. There was also a stirring in his gut. "Hey, you're back." 

"Hey, you're in front of my door." Her light tone belied her own butterflies. This man affected her like no other had. Danny made her as giddy as a schoolgirl but also made her aware she was a woman. 

He scrambled to his feet. He was reaching for her bags when C.J. launched herself at him. Their arms wound around each other and their lips met. The kiss left them breathless. "Ms. Cregg, a P.D.A. I'm surprised." 

"Well, it's not as if we're staging this Public Display of Affection on the Lincoln Memorial steps. But if you object, I'll stop." 

"You will?", he moved his lips back to hers but stopped an inch away. 

"Okay, I'll try and stop. Oh, never mind." Their next kiss swallowed their laughter. "I missed you." The words slipped out before she could stop them. 

Danny knew it was a huge admission for her. He didn't make a big deal out of it, it might scare her off. Instead, he just pulled her closer and said, "That's what I was about to say. You took the words right out of my mouth while we were kissing." 

C.J. was relieved he hadn't made a production out of her declaration. She hadn't meant to say it but it felt good for him to be aware of her feelings. "How did you know to be here now?" 

"Lucky guess." He knew she wouldn't buy that. "I confess, I got a tip." 

"From?" 

"I can't reveal my sources." 

C.J. snapped her fingers. "No need. It was Libby. She asked me my plans as we landed. You two are in cahoots." C.J. had taken the seat next to Libby Rhodes for part of the return trip. She liked the reporter and knew she was close to Danny. "I tried to call you. What's up with your cell phone?" 

"I'll explain later." The volume of their hallway conversation caused a door further down to open. An elderly woman stuck her head out and Danny called to her. "She's back, Mrs. Ellert." 

C.J.'s neighbor nodded and answered. "Good thing or I'd have snapped you up myself. He's a prize C.J." 

"She knows.", Danny crowed. 

"Hello Mrs. Ellert, how are you?" 

"Your young man looked forlorn so I invited him in for a few minutes. Give him a key C.J., if he hangs around hallways, you'll lose him." 

C.J. was clearly uncomfortable but determined to be polite to her elderly friend. "Thank you Mrs. Ellert. I'll keep it in mind." She hissed to Danny, "Let's go inside." 

"One sec, that's why my cell phone was off. I thought it would be rude while I was talking to her." He reached down to his briefcase and grabbed a bunch of flowers. C.J. looked pleased. Her smile grew when Danny plucked one flower out of the bouquet and presented it to C.J. He sprinted down the hall to give the rest to Mrs. Ellert. 

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. Danny kissed her on the cheek and said, "Thanks for keeping me company until C.J. got back." 

"My pleasure. Any time." 

C.J. had her apartment door open. Danny lugged in their stuff while C.J. watched. The door closed and she was in his arms. "That was so incredibly kind and generous. You made two women very happy." 

"How happy?" 

"I can't speak for Mrs. Ellert. But..." C.J. planted kisses all over his face, ending at his lips. She used her tongue to deepen the kiss until the room began to spin for both of them. "We can continue this discussion in the bedroom." 

"Let's go and see if we make it that far, unless you're hungry?" 

"I am. But not for food. We ate on Air Force One, unless you...?" 

"Nope. Mrs. Ellert fed me, I had Irish Stew." 

"Perfect for you." 

"She's a good cook." 

"I know, I get plates from her occasionally." 

"We'll have to take her to dinner." 

"Fine but not tonight. I have other things in mind." They began to kiss again. Their hands matched the action of their lips and tongues as they began to slip each other out of pesky clothing. When their hands reached bare skin, they moved quickly down the hall into C.J.'s bedroom. 

** 

The time apart sweetened their passion. It was like rediscovering a much loved book. You knew the story well but still found new and exciting nuances as you looked again. 

When they finally came together after all the kissing and caressing, it was shattering. Danny held C.J. afterwards and she snuggled against him murmuring once again that she'd missed him. "That time I meant it from me. I wanted you to know." 

"I knew C.J. And I know you're not comfortable saying it. Thank you for sharing that and making this night even more special." 

"You know what would make it even better?" 

"Yes. But I need a little time to recharge my batteries." 

"Besides that." 

"What?" Danny sounded puzzled. 

"Ice cream." 

"You want me to go out and get ice cream? I know that isn't delivered." 

"Don't be silly. As long as you like chocolate, I have 3 different flavors in the freezer. I'll be right back." 

"More surprises from you Ms. Cregg?" They feasted on ice cream, then on each other. Danny had a change of clothes with him so they could fall asleep in each other's arms and share her bed for the night. 

** 

Those memories had made it tough for C.J. to leave that bed and go to the gym. But she was back now and enjoying reliving them. When she heard Danny's cheerful whistle down the hall, she sighed in contentment. 

He wouldn't use her bathroom because the soap in there was "too girlie". She crept down the hall to the guest bathroom to get a whiff of steam, "guy soap" and his cologne. He caught sight of her in her work out clothes and said, "Good morning." 

"Hi. You smell good." She kissed him and then began to kiss his bare shoulder and neck. His scent was now familiar and comforting but also dangerous. 

"You too." 

"Danny, I'm all sweaty." 

"I like you that way." 

"Hmmmm, good to know." She eyed the towel around his waist. "How much?" 

"C.J., I feel like a piece of meat. How much time do we have?" 

"Probably not enough." She moved away from him. "Wouldn't it be fun though to give in to temptation?" 

Reluctantly, Danny said, "Some other time. Coffee's on." 

"Thanks. I'll grab my shower first." She started out the door but turned quickly. C.J. pulled the towel off of him. "Figured, I'd borrow this." 

She'd surprised him with the playful gesture. "No problem, anything I have is yours." 

"Promises, promises." Her voice and laughter floated back down the hall at him. 

** 

C.J. came out of the shower to find a mug of coffee waiting in the bathroom. She put on a robe and wrapped a towel around her wet hair. She moved into the bedroom to start assembling her outfit. Normally, she laid out her clothes the night before but had been distracted from that last night. 

She smiled again recalling what had gone on instead of mundane chores. Danny noticed her expression and then saw her face drop in disappointment since he was already dressed. "No repeat performances Fish Boy?" 

"Sorry, if I'm late for the Morning Briefing, the Press Secretary punishes me. I found toaster waffles, I left some for you in the kitchen." 

"Forget breakfast. I'll bet you like being punished." 

"Well, yeah. But I can't let her know." He pushed C.J. back on the bed and yanked the towel off her hair. "Turnabout is fair play. Though I doubt the view is as interesting." 

"Should I trade my robe for a towel?" 

"No need. I can improvise. I'm a very creative boy." Danny hovered over her and leaned down to kiss her. He dropped a hand to the robe's sash and opened it. "Now that's an incomparable view." 

C.J. pulled him down for a kiss and they rolled around on the bed until a pager began to beep. "Damn.", they both swore. 

"Mine or yours?", a disappointed C.J. asked. 

"Mine.", a dejected Danny answered. He got up and moved to the night stand to grab it. He angrily punched buttons. "Let me call in." 

He left the bedroom to use his cell phone. They never took a chance with caller I.D. giving them away. C.J. retied the robe and started heading to the dining room. 

She heard Danny swear, slam down his phone and begin punching keys on his laptop. "Danny, what is it?" 

He held up a hand. "Give me a second. " 

"Sure." In a moment he had the web site he wanted and started to scroll down. C.J. asked, "Did you find what you're looking for?" 

"Yeah. Remember I asked you about that textbook story?" 

"Uh-huh." C.J. suddenly felt a chill. "Why?" 

"Katie got it and..." Danny's voice trailed off as his scrolling stopped. His eyes grew larger. "But I guess you knew she had the story. After all it quotes, 'White House Press Secretary C.J. Cregg'. Do you recall your words?" 

"Yes I do." She looked over his shoulder. "It's accurate." 

Danny's voice was cold. "Good to know that when I'm scooped, it should be accurate." 

"I'm sorry you were scooped." 

"You knew I was working on the story." 

"You're working on a lot of stories, some I know about, some I don't." 

"Think back C.J." His tone was sharp. "I asked you about a tip that a new American History textbook touted by the Department of Education was rife with errors." 

"Yes, you did and I told you I'd check it out." 

"Did you?" 

"Of course. No one had gotten back to me. Katie had it from another source, I confirmed we were looking into it." 

"You could have said something." 

"Oh really? Like what?" She was feeling angry and hurt. "Hey Danny, Katie is on your story?" 

"That sounds good." 

"And should I tell Katie when you move ahead on a story she's working on. Isn't that the fair thing?" 

He sputtered. "You know what I mean." 

"I do and it's pretty insulting." 

"C.J. you know how hard I work to get stories. But I also tip you off to things. Should I list them?" 

"No. But you know it works both ways Danny. I've given you leads on stories but not ones someone else is ready to break." 

They just stared at each other, hurt and anger vying for control. C.J. spoke with a catch in her voice. "We knew this could happen before we got involved." 

"Yeah." 

"We talked about it." 

"Yeah." 

"We agreed we could handle it." 

"Yeah." 

"We said it would be fine." 

"Yeah." 

"We promised it wouldn't matter." 

"Yeah." 

"You lied." 

"Yeah." 

The silence fell again. Danny looked at her, leaned in and kissed her gently on the forehead. "But, I didn't mean to hurt you C.J." He slammed down the laptop lid, grabbed his stuff and headed for the door. He didn't turn back so he didn't see the tear sliding down C.J.'s cheek. 

"Yeah.", she said. 

** 

An hour later, C.J. moved through the halls of the West Wing. She was composed, the traces of her tears concealed by make-up and sheer determination. 

She and Danny would work this out. They cared too much about each other. She'd waited so long to open her heart to a man again, she wouldn't let things fail. 

If the situation were reversed, how would she react? C.J. tried to imagine the scene. She would probably feel the same way if he ran a damaging story on the Bartlet Administration. Her common sense told her it would happen at some point. 

She knew that she'd be a hoyden about it, C.J. could see Danny being just as hurt and upset as she now felt. She could also see herself making a bigger deal about it and being more furious than he was. It would be a tempestuous scene, no doubt about it. 

Danny would put himself in her place, she decided. Then he'd understand and see how out of line his behavior was. Or C.J. would pound on his head until he did. 

She found herself in her office staring at Gail in her fishbowl. C.J. automatically patted the side so the Goldfish would scamper by the glass. She dropped a pinch of food in eyeing the Cupid figurine gracing the bowl. It was the fallback decoration, the one C.J. used when there was nothing calendar or White House related to put inside. 

"I figured you'd bring back an oil well." Carol made her presence known from the doorway. 

"That would have been appropriate." C.J. agreed. "But the Secret Service didn't want to stop at an aquarium store for me." 

"Go figure. Staff in 10 minutes." Carol, the ever efficient assistant reminded her. "Need anything?" 

"No thanks." C.J. hesitated, "Wait, have you seen Danny Concannon?" 

"Come to think of it, I haven't and he usually gives me a shout. Should I call and see if he's around?" 

"Never mind. It's no big deal." C.J. figured to see him at the Briefing or she'd stop at his desk. "Let's get some things done." 

Carol ran through the morning news summaries from the papers and the network shows. One of the stories getting prominent play was about the textbooks. Carol told C.J., "We're getting requests for more information." 

"Call the roll for me." C.J. heard mentions of the usual suspects but not Danny. "Okay, it'll be high on the list at Staff. Get me the Press Secretary over at Education. I might as well share the wealth." 

"Can you believe the book has the Civil War ending in 1868?" Carol was incredulous. 

"No but..." C.J. gave her assistant a direct look. 

Carol got the message and sniffed, "I make spelling errors, not fact errors. There's a huge difference." 

"Got it." C.J. smiled at her assistant. 

She took advantage of C.J.'s good humor. "Didn't Danny ask about this story awhile back?" 

"Yes." C.J.'s tone was as short as her answer. 

"I'm sorry, C.J. I hope it's all okay." Carol knew C.J. and Danny had something special going on but she also knew C.J. was intensely private. Still, Carol felt it was important to offer C.J. support. 

"Whatever." C.J. started to gather her notes. She paused. "Thanks Carol. I appreciate it." C.J. left for Senior Staff. 

Carol watched her go. She looked back at the Goldfish. "Don't worry little fish, they'll work it out. If not, I'll fight for custody of you." 

** 

C.J. was passing Sam's office when he called out to her. She paused in the doorway. "Good morning Sam, what's up?" 

"I'm surprised you are. I figured after seeing Katie's story there would be trouble at home." 

She gave him a long cool stare. She closed the door as she stepped into his office. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" 

"C.J., I meant that Danny must have been upset after being scooped. And I figured that spilled on to you." 

"Why would that concern you?" Her tone was icy. 

A smarter man would have changed the subject. Sam might be brilliant but he wasn't always smart. "I was curious." 

"Well, let me enlighten you my friend. If by home you mean the place that's a refuge, let me clarify things. Most people spend about, oh let's see, 1/3rd of their lives at home. If I'm there 1/5th of the time, I'm lucky. I consider it an expensive and large locker room. I keep my clothes there, I shower there. If I'm lucky enough to have a personal life and get lucky there, it's my business. It concerns no one else. Got it?" 

"Did I mention how much I like that leather holder for your legal pad?" 

"Thank you, Sam. Shall we go to Staff?" 

A chastened Sam followed her to Leo's office. They joined Josh at the table. Mandy was on the couch eating an apple. Toby lounged in the doorway. 

Leo was on the phone. He wasn't trying to keep the conversation secret. "Yes Senator, I saw the story. It is shocking." Leo paused to listen. "But sir, your staff reviewed the book, all of them must have thought the Constitution was ratified in 1792, I guess." Another pause. "Oh, they don't think that. Well then why the hell didn't they point out that error among others? I'm sure you were surprised to learn that President Eisenhower was a Democrat. Sure Senator, get back to me." 

He hung up the phone and faced his Staff. Before he could speak Mandy threw out a barb. "We'll be dealing with that kind of stuff all day. I'll bet C.J. you've already had a taste of it before you got to work. Any blood spilled during pillow talk?" 

C.J. didn't get a chance to answer Mandy. Sam spoke first. "Mandy home and personal lives are refuges for most people. To clarify things, if average people spend 1/3rd of their lives at home, we're lucky to be there 1/5th of the time. Most of our places are like expensive locker rooms where we shower and change clothes. If we get to spend extended time there it becomes a personal life. And I believe unless it compromises the White House, we should let a personal life stay personal." 

Everyone stared at Sam. He rarely took on Mandy since she constantly reminded Sam he was in her debt. Her eyes were spitting fire but C.J.'s eyes were shining. Sam focused on that, maybe playing white knight would leave C.J. in HIS debt. Or at least keep Sam out of trouble. 

Leo took over. "Now that Sam the sage has spoken, let's move on. C.J. where does this stand?" 

C.J. outlined a skillful plan to deal with the textbook story. She stressed the Department of Education could deal with most of it, the White House focus would remain on a report about a drop in violent crime. 

"That's good. But C.J. errors in an American History textbook are sexy.", Toby said. "It'll stay hot, especially on the late night shows. It'll be the ha-ha topic in the monologues." 

"We can't stop that Toby. C.J. has a handle on this. We'll stay with her plan." Leo gave her a nod of approval. 

Josh had been picking through the muffins in search of another lemon poppyseed one. "But, let's be honest. Are most people going to recognize these are errors? What would happen if we quizzed people here?" 

"I would hope that we hire people smart enough to know that Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon in 1969, not 1964 and that his name is spelled with an 'i' not an 'a'." Toby had the offensive textbook in front of him and was ready to give more examples. 

Mandy beat him to it. "Before Toby starts citing chapter and worse, let's focus on numbers. C.J., these books hadn't shipped to many schools. Stress that." 

"Plus they're for the new school year, so they haven't been used.", Sam offered. 

"That's all to our advantage." C.J. said as she made more notes. "But the 'where' and the 'why' are problems. Where did it come from and why was it picked?" 

"Do you have those answers?" Leo was ready to move on. 

"Not yet. When I do, I'll call you so you can tell the President and make some decisions." 

"What if it comes up at the first Briefing?" Josh hated to see C.J. stumped in front of the Press Corps. 

"I'll deal with it." 

"Okay, let's finish the list." Leo moved to the next item. 

** 

C.J. left Staff and headed for her office. Carol had no answers yet to the problems with the textbook. C.J. checked her hair and make-up, then walked to the Press Room. 

She looked for Danny in his cubicle. He wasn't there, C.J. greeted some of the other reporters. There was the usual good natured bantering. C.J. forced herself to focus on it. 

Once the Briefing started, it was easier to stay on track. There were plenty of questions about the mistake laden book, the Department of Education and who shouldered the blame. C.J. handled them with aplomb even when her eyes strayed to Danny's empty seat. 

She did manage to get in the drop in violent crime statistics and attribute it partly to the Bartlet White House commitment to more police and fairer sentencing. 

C.J.'s path out of the Press Room took her past Danny's co-worker, Libby Rhodes. The two women exchanged pleasantries and headed down a hall. It was a little more private so Libby took a chance. "How was the rest of your evening after we landed?" 

C.J. remembered the tenderness and passion of the night before with Danny. "VERY nice. Thank you. It's nice of you to be...", C.J. paused, "concerned." She favored Libby with a small smile then asked, "Have you seen Danny?" 

"No." Libby's tone was questioning. "Is something wrong? Figured he must be at a thing for the First Lady, right?" 

"Not that I'm aware of today." C.J.'s smile tightened. "Thanks Libby." C.J. started to move off. Libby stopped her. 

"C.J., if there's a problem, I'd like to help. Should I tell Danny you're looking for him?" 

"Unnecessary. We'll catch up later, I'm sure." C.J. hurried off. Libby vowed to find out what was going on, Danny would expect nothing less of the woman he considered a kid sister and a good reporter. 

** 

The day passed quickly because C.J. made it a full one. She buried herself in reports, advance planning and the book ballyhoo. She'd nailed down the rest of the answers about how the book got a go-ahead. She'd given the information to the President and Leo. 

They included C.J. in a phone conference with the embarrassed Education Secretary. A course of action was in place, she would announce it at the final Briefing unless someone asked earlier. 

Thoughts of this issue brought Danny back to her mind. Their paths still hadn't crossed. To the best of C.J.'s knowledge, he hadn't even been in the White House. "Guess if I really want to know I should ask Mrs. Landingham. She always has the best information." 

A knock on the door pulled C.J.'s attention back to the moment. It was Abigail Bartlet. The First Lady asked, "May I come in?" 

"Of course, Ma'am". C.J. rose as Abbey stepped in and closed the door. "Is anything wrong Mrs. Bartlet?" 

"That's my question. Let's sit down." Abbey indicated C.J.'s couch and they settled there. "We're off the record." 

"Okay. About what?" 

"You. I take it you and Danny are having some trouble." 

"Do we need to talk about this Mrs. Bartlet?" 

"It's Abbey for this. Yes, we're friends and I'm worried." 

"How did you know?" 

"Danny was supposed to have a meeting with me. He canceled it on short notice and didn't really offer an explanation. I spoke to him, he wasn't his usual breezy self." 

"And that means I'm involved?" C.J. was not comfortable with this conversation despite her friendship with Abbey. 

"C.J. we've covered this ground before. But in case it's news to a couple of people who deal with news, you and Danny light up these days. It's evident something is going on that makes the two of you happy. Your work is better because there's something in your life besides work. It's balance, girl." 

"Oh." 

"Nice comeback for the Press Secretary.", Abbey observed dryly. "I hear it was because of a story." 

"Abbey he got scooped. I was quoted in the story and knew he was working on it. Danny likes to win, he was upset." 

"And you don't? Have you put yourself in his place?" 

"I have. You're right, at some point it will happen to me. I thought we were prepared for it." 

"You'll work it out." Abbey's tone was positive. 

"I'm glad you think so. I'd feel better about it if we could at least hook up." 

"Would you like me to have him paged?" 

"No, thank you it would be too much like high school." C.J.'s voice was firm. "It'll be fine." 

"Okay, I trust you to handle this for the moment." The First Lady stood and turned to go. She whirled around. "Two things. One, don't make it too easy on him to apologize and make sure some wine is chilled, maybe even champagne for when he comes over to finish groveling. Two, don't forget you have a weekend off coming up when we leave the White House. Remember we leave you people behind to visit Elizabeth." 

C.J. ticked off Abbey's points on her fingers. "One is don't make it too easy. Two is wine or champagne. THREE, is a weekend off and what does that have to do with anything?" 

"So sue me, the count is off. At least it's not in print like a certain book." C.J. rolled her eyes at that. Abbey laughed and continued. "Get through this rough patch C.J. and you'll be in good shape for real progress on the weekend off." 

"I can't do it alone Abbey." C.J. sounded a bit plaintive. 

Abbey reached over to hug C.J. "You won't have to, Danny's a man, meaning he's not real bright at times but he's not stupid." She left and C.J. went back to work wondering how a day that started so well would end. 

** 

The last Briefing of the day was due to start and Danny Concannon planned to get in for it with a second or two to spare. The long day had started out well as he remembered rolling around on the bed with C.J. Then, the bottom dropped out and it was still full of possible pitfalls. That's why he'd kept moving at top speed all day. 

He was dropping his briefcase at his desk when he heard, "I've been looking for you." 

The voice was well known to him, so he answered in the same annoyed tone he'd been confronted with. "You found me. How hard were you looking?" 

His turn to go the Briefing Room brought him face to face with Libby Rhodes. She was a co-worker and a friend but right now she looked like a gathering storm cloud. "Danny, we need to talk." 

"Fine." He leaned back against the desk, folded his arms across his body and looked like a smug, confident man. 

"Not here. Somewhere private." 

"I'll see if the President will let us borrow the Oval Office." 

"Cute." She lowered her voice. "It's about C.J." 

"Off limits Libby. Don't go there." Danny decided before she could go there, he would go somewhere else. He looked for an escape route and decided on the men's room. 

Libby paused and followed him in. Luckily for all the White House men, it was empty. She planted herself in the doorway. "Okay. Talk." 

"I know you're insane Lib, but this is a bit much. It's the men's room." 

"Great. You're the man, act like one. I learned my tactics from you. 'Do whatever you have to in order to talk to the source.' That would be you." 

"No comment." 

"Listen you jerk, apparently your ego is ruffled and somehow C.J. is involved. I'm here to tell you, you're wrong." 

"You don't know what you're talking about. Stay out of this and you should stay out of men's rooms." 

"Danny, stop playing this devil-may-care thing and tell me what's going on." 

"It's not a big deal Libby. I was working on a story, someone else got it." 

"That textbook thing?" 

"Yeah." He nodded. His voice was calm but she saw his frustration when he punched at the wall. 

"So how is C.J. involved?" 

"She's quoted in the story." 

"And?" 

"And she knew I was working on it." 

"And?" Libby's voice was growing more incredulous. 

"And she didn't tell me someone else was on the story and further along." 

Libby just gaped at him. She was about to say something when the door opened and a couple of the underlings from the Communications Department started to walk in. They did a double take when they spotted her. She gave them her steeliest glare. "Do you mind?" 

"Uh, isn't this the men's room?" 

"Yes. But give us a minute. Are your kidneys that weak?" They beat a hasty retreat and Danny came back under her glare. "Okay. Now as for you, you're not just a jerk, you're a moron." 

"I can't say this to anyone but you." He lowered his voice. "You know I've tipped people here to stories before they've run." Libby was special to him but he couldn't tell her that he'd also held stories that would hurt the Bartlet White House. Danny did that if it wasn't a big deal but would make things tough for C.J. 

"Yeah, you have. In return, you get scoops no one else does. You get incredible access to the President and everyone in the West Wing." 

Danny started to object. She silenced him by jabbing her finger in his chest and continuing. "Yeah, you're also a damn good reporter and that helps you get those things. THIS is the first time I've been ashamed to call you a mentor, a co-worker and a friend." 

"Libby, that's not fair. I take a lot of pride in my work. I don't get scooped, I don't take flack from editors." 

"You do get scooped, everyone does. If C.J. had GIVEN Katie this story, you'd have a beef and I'd be in C.J.'s face. She didn't, she did her job like Katie did. You know about doing your job. Sorry your feelings got hurt but that's life." 

He got another jab in the chest. Libby was shorter than Danny but between her finger and her fervor, she rivaled an NBA Center. "As for our idiot editor, remember what you told me when I got my first taste of his wrath?" 

Danny winced, she had him. "Yeah, I get it." 

"Go ahead, repeat it." 

"In my brilliant manner I said, 'He's a what have you done for me lately guy. If you get scooped, you hear from him. If you get a scoop, you don't so'..." 

"'Go get scoops.'", they finished together. 

"I know you Danny, you weren't here today because you were out getting a scoop." 

He nodded and started to tell her. 

"Keep it to yourself. I'll hear it later or I'll read about it. But C.J. doesn't know you that well. She thinks you were either called on the carpet or you're avoiding her. You need to square things with her." 

"I was avoiding her a little. I think I was an idiot." Danny admitted. 

"I know you were but you realizing it is a big step." 

"Thanks for that vote of confidence." 

"She's the best thing that's happened to you in a long time. Make this right and don't wait too long to do it. Don't give her a reason to pull back." 

"How'd you get so smart?" Danny threw an arm around Libby's shoulders and pulled her close. 

"I guess it's the company I keep. That Josh Lyman is brilliant." 

He hugged her closer as they both laughed and headed out. "Hey Lib, what do you have for today?" "Follow up on the Children's Health Insurance Bill and an item on Mrs. Bartlet keynoting a conference on SIDS in April." 

"SIDS?" Danny wasn't registering on the acronym though he knew it was a common one. 

"Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Go see C.J." 

He glanced at his watch. "No time now." As they went out the door he noticed the two underlings still waiting and staring. "I always forget to wash my hands unless she's there to remind me." 

Libby suppressed a giggle as they went by the open mouthed men. 

** 

C.J. moved to the podium to do the final Briefing of the day. She still hadn't seen Danny and had decided things would not be settled that day. But they'd have this out, C.J. wasn't going to be blamed for something out of her control. 

She gathered her papers and her thoughts and started the session. Her glance swept the room and noted Danny's empty seat. Her first question came from the other side of the room. C.J. dispensed with it quickly and as she moved to take the next question, she noticed Danny slide into his chair. 

Their eyes met and held. It was only an instant but long enough for them to reconnect. Their bond was forged even stronger. They wouldn't have been able to put it into words but this connection was through the heart and required no words. 

C.J.'s attention was pulled away by the voices of other reporters. No one asked deep questions about the textbook debacle. Her plan was to let her counterpart over at Education handle it as a release if it didn't come up here. She was about to call the lid when an easily recognized hand shot up. "Yes, Danny?" 

"C.J. is the President aware that the company that produced the textbook with more errors than the Baltimore Orioles includes a Vice President married to an Under Secretary of Education? The one who recommends textbooks?" 

"Bingo news boy, that's my guy." C.J. thought. But her face never changed expression as she said aloud, "Danny, the President is aware of that and together with the Education Secretary has taken action. They have asked for and received the resignation of Under Secretary David Strauss. The company has been told to return any up front money for the books and to forfeit this government contract." 

She took a follow up and then called the lid. C.J. was pleased Danny had figured things out, now she knew where he'd been. But she was surprised he'd been so willing to share his story with the others. They were frantically writing down his information now. 

C.J. tried to catch his eye as she moved out of the room. But Danny was busy with his pager and moving to his desk. C.J. needed to busy herself. Leo and the President had to be told the complete story was out there and now would start to die. 

** 

The never ending stream of reports had C.J. adrift. They surrounded her at her desk and she was gamely swimming through them. The Goldfish swam nearby in sympathy. It was quiet now in this corner of the West Wing. She'd sent Carol on her way. Her dedicated assistant had another date with a Secret Service Agent. He was part of the First Lady's detail and had been attentive to Carol since Valentine's Day. 

For a moment C.J. flashed back to Valentine's Day. She and Danny had made it quite an occasion: gifts, champagne and fun throughout the day. Then the magic of the night led to them becoming lovers for the first time. C.J. sighed, that had been an evening to remember and still savor. But there had been a lot of nights just as wonderful for them. 

The knock on C.J.'s door jolted her back to this night. She called out, "Come in." 

The door opened slowly as Danny edged his way in. He was carrying a small bag. "Hey." 

"Hey" was her answer back. She waited, recalling Abbey's advice not to make it too easy on him. C.J. could see a torrent of emotions running through him. She felt them herself. 

"Am I welcome?", he asked cautiously. 

"Danny, my door is always open to the Press." 

"Uh-huh." He saw she wouldn't make this easy. But nothing about this relationship with C.J. had been easy. "How about someone interested in pressing his lips against yours?" 

"He might be very welcome." 

"I see. Do you want to do the professional or personal first C.J.?" 

"Your choice. I've got plenty of time and work to keep me here." 

"Right. How about the personal part then first? It's the most important." Her eyes widened on those words. Danny pulled something out of the bag and set it on the desk. "This can serve as part of my penance if Gail agrees." 

C.J. studied the small plastic item. It looked like wood planks with three holes, one large one flanked by two smaller ones. One side appeared hinged. "What is it?" 

"A set of stocks. A reminder of the good old days of public flogging, punishment and humiliation. Seemed fitting." 

"Do you think so? I hate to take Cupid out but..." 

"We can save the stocks for the next time. Just in case I misread things, I'll get a clear signal if this is in Gail's bowl." He paused to take a deep breath. "I'm not proud of the way I behaved. I was childish, stupid and a jerk." He waited but she said nothing. "I see we're in agreement." 

"We are. When did you have this revelation?" 

"Right after I left you this morning." 

"And it's taken you 12 hours to find me and apologize." 

"Libby was right. Damn, I hate that." 

"Right about what?" 

"When we were in the men's room she said you wouldn't understand." Danny ignored C.J.'s startled look. "I wasn't avoiding you C.J., not really but I'll come back to that. I was digging for a story, searching for something to soothe my ego and my editor." 

"You canceled with the First Lady." 

"I had to meet a source and I had to think about things." 

"Things?" 

"The story that got away, the one I was working on and us." 

"I think I want to hear about us." 

"I was scared, C.J. My work has been the most important thing to me in this town for a long time. Now, that's changed. I needed to figure out if I was letting my work slide because of you, because you're on my mind constantly, because I want to be with you as much as I can be." 

"What did you decide?" 

"That you just make my life more full, that work was taking up too much of it. Do you remember in Belgium when you asked how I could be so wonderful and I told you I wasn't? Well, today you got a look at the not wonderful me. I hope it didn't scare you off but we now know that as this goes on, we'll have conflicts and disagreements. I just hope we, that I, handle them better than I did this morning." 

"It's not always going to be perfect, huh?" C.J. looked at him intently. "So I guess I'll have to just really enjoy you when you are perfect. I'm glad you don't want to call it quits Danny. That would be the wrong thing to do, I realized just how wrong today as I thought about us." 

He nodded. "I know." 

She gave him a dazzling smile, the first she'd been able to muster at the White House all day. "Well you got your scoop. I guess I'm surprised you shared it with the Room." 

"You thought that was my scoop? Great. If I fooled the brilliant C.J. Cregg, then I know I fooled everyone else. No, I've got something major." 

"How major?" 

"May I switch us back to professional, Ms. Cregg?" 

"Yes, Mr. Concannon. Whatcha got?" The tone was businesslike but there was also curiosity in her voice. Her eyes twinkled as she pondered running her fingers through his hair and mussing it. 

Danny caught that twinkle and leaned across the desk to give her a quick kiss. "Okay, now I can concentrate on the professional." 

"Lucky you. Come on, give." 

"I need to see the President or Leo or the two of them together." 

"Danny, the lid's on about Education and other things." 

"They'll want to hear this, trust me and they'll want to react to it." 

"Okay." She reached for the phone. Before she could punch the button, she caught the look in Danny's eye. "What?" 

"That's it? On my word you call Leo?" 

"Danny I've trusted you with an awful lot already. Why wouldn't I believe you about this?" She punched the button. "Leo. Danny Concannon is here. He would like to speak with you and the President." C.J. paused to listen. "No sir, it's not about Education. He's got another story you'll want to know about." There was another lull. "I believe it would be in our best interests. Okay, 20 minutes. I'll tell him." 

She hung up the phone and turned to Danny. He spoke first. "C.J. I heard. You didn't ask, I didn't give you any details, how can you know it's in your best interests?" 

"Reporter's instinct." 

"You're not a reporter." 

"No. But I've got an instinct about a certain reporter and his ability." 

Danny was touched. "Thanks. And since you didn't ask, your budget calls for a major jump in the funding for the U.S. Park Police." 

"I know." 

"Senator Hobbins, chairman of the Interior Committee publicly backed the provision." 

"Uh-huh." 

"Privately, he's crowing about attaching a rider that would instead cut the Park Police security budget for the Mall." 

"Not good but we can probably get the funding restored on the Floor or get it next year." 

"You may not have time before some disturbing facts come out that will make you look soft on security and defense. The Senator knows there's a report on counter terrorism ready to go. Not sure if you're aware that it's that close to release. It says the Mall and its Monuments are especially vulnerable to terrorist attacks. He's attempting to sit on the report until he gets the rider passed. The extra money goes back to his district for some pork." 

"Danny, how did you...?" 

"I won't say. But I will say, it didn't come from the White House." 

"Good sources? Legit ones?" 

"I have a memo with his notes and signature among other things." 

"Other things?" 

"Don't be greedy. That's all you get until you buy a paper." 

"We get them here, it's a perk of my job." She was impressed by his work. "I'll walk you over to the Oval Office." 

"Give me five minutes. I want to place my call to the Senator's office to start the ball rolling for his reaction. It ought to be good." 

"No problem." 

He stood up to go. "May I come over tonight? It'll be late." 

"That would be nice. If I'm not around, I'm sure Mrs. Ellert will entertain you." 

Danny ignored that. "Should I bring food? Pizza? Salad? Soup?" 

"Yes." She was mesmerized by his eyes and smile. C.J. was already thinking about that bottle of wine she would ice and figuring they'd finish it in the bedroom. 

"Which one?" He was enjoying looking at her, realizing her thoughts were somewhere else as she studied him. He thought he knew where that might be and planned to join her there. She was an incredibly sexy woman and just looking at her stirred his soul. 

"Whatever. Surprise me." She forced herself to focus on the matter at hand, not the bedroom at home. 

"No problem. It'll be awhile, so..." He snaked around her desk. Danny leaned down, pushed her head back on her chair. He kissed her and the report in her fingers slipped to the floor as she pulled him closer. Danny let the kiss get more intense for another few seconds and pulled back. "I think we steamed up your glasses." He tapped C.J. on the nose. 

"It's okay, they needed cleaning." C.J. noticed his breathing was as uneven as hers. She started to take off her glasses with one hand while reaching for him with the other. 

"No way. Control yourself or I'll be late for an Oval Office meeting with your boss." He eluded her grasp with a grin. But at the door he turned. He had a serious look on his face. "C.J., would you do something for me?" 

"Of course." 

"Are you taking reports home to read?" 

"Probably." 

"Save one to read for when I get there, nothing top secret of course." 

"Okay." She agreed in a perplexed tone. 

"I'd like to watch you read it." 

"All right." More puzzlement. 

"I'd like to watch you read it as you're wearing your glasses, your necklace, your perfume and nothing else." This image of her had pervaded some of his fantasies. 

"Oh my." A blush invaded her face. She was stunned to find out that he thought of her that way. It was a new image for her to have of herself. She felt incredibly desired and feminine. 

"Game?" His wicked grin was now back in place. 

"Before or after dinner?" 

"Your choice. Surprise me." 

"Count on it." 

Danny headed out the door but offered one more backward glance. "I'll be quick." 

"I hope not." C.J. blushed anew even as the words came out of her mouth. She tried to go back to her report instead of imagining what reading a report later at home under Danny's watchful eye would be like. 

### 


End file.
